This invention relates to transportable bowl that is easily collapsed and easily configured into a useable bowl for both liquid and solid food items. A flexible collar is also provided to allow a typical sealable baggy to become a bowl with sufficient structural integrity to support liquid and solid items disposed therein.
Alternative technology is available in the form of a convertible package and bowl type container in U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,028 issued in 2001 to Buchanan. Unlike the present invention, its structure does not permit it to be made flat when not holding food items. See also U.S. Design Pat. No. D482,614 for a reclosable expanded snack carton which is structurally limited in the manner in which it can be used. U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,000 issued in 1986 to Frick relates to an edge stiffener limited to changing the configuration of the opening of a plastic bag. Moreover, a variety of aperture closure and opening means for plastic baggies are known. See U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 2003/0215160 and 2003/0077007; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,508,587, 6,149,304, 5,647,670, 5,094,707, and 5,044,774.
The principal disadvantage of such device is that they fail to teach the unique structure of the present invention which provides for a collapsible bowl that is easily collapsed into a flat object and easily configured into a useable bowl for both liquid and solid food items. To alleviate this problem, and others which will become apparent from the disclosure which follows, the present invention conveniently provides both an integral flexible rim and a distinct flexible collar adapted for use with a conventional sealable baggy to make the collapsible bowl of this important invention.
The citation of the foregoing publications is not an admission that any particular publication constitutes prior art, or that any publication alone or in conjunction with others, renders unpatentable any pending claim of the present application. None of the cited publications is believed to detract from the patentability of the claimed invention.